Electrical releaser for fire-doors, &amp;c.



Patented Sept 23, I902.

H. J. PUDLESAK. ELECTRICALBELEASEH FUR FIRE DOORS, &0.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1897.)

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HENRY JOSEPH PODLESZXK,OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

ELECTRICAL RELEASER FOR FIRE-DOORS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No. 709,607, datedSeptember 23, 190 2. Application filed March 16, 1897. Serial No.627.770. (No model.)

SAK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lincoln,in thecounty of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electrical Releasers 'forFire-Doors, &c. and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic releases forfire-doors,fire-shutters, &c., the object being to provide improvedmechanism for normally holding the door or shutter open and to releasethe same in order to allow it to close in case of a fire breaking out ina building in order that all draft-openings may be closed andhermetically sealed to prevent the spreading of the flames.

To this end myinvention consists in certain novel constructions,combinations, and arrangements of parts in a device of the classdescribed, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and specificallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation view of adoor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial Viewof the electromagnet and release mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3is a diagrammatic view showing the release and thermostat circuits andthe electromagnetic switch.

Like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a door or shutter towhich my invention is applied. This is arranged in the presentinstanceto slide on horizontal tracks 2 and is shown open. A weight 3 isattached to the door by means of a rope passing over thepulley3 Aswillbeapparent,tl1egravity of the weight 3 will produce a pull on thedoor, and thus tend to close it, the latter being free to move.

My invention can readily be applied to any desired construction ofautomatically-closing doors and shutters.

A toggle-lever consisting of two levers or sections 5 and 5 jointedtogether at 6, is pivoted to a suitably-arranged base having a suitableposition near the door. A lockinglever 8, having one arm pivoted tolower end of toggle-section 5, is fulcrumed to the base at 8 The otherarm 9 of the locking-lever 8 is adapted to engage with a locking-lip 10on a locking-link 11, connected with the automatically-closing door. InFig. 1 the position of the toggle-lever and locking mechanism indicatedby full lines shows the parts in looking engagement to hold thedooropen, while the position indicated by the broken lines shows the lockingmechanism released to permit the door to close. It will be apparent onreference to Fig. 1 that as long as the toggle-lever retains theposition shown by the full lines (when the middle joint will have aslight set, which set is adjusted and sustained by set-screws 30) itmatters not how much force or how great a pull may be applied on the arm9 of the locking-lever 8, provided, of course, that the force is notgreat enough to break the device, in a direction tending to bring saidlever into the position shown by dotted lines, the combination willremain rigid; but if a slight push be given to the toggle-lever at themiddle joint 6, bonding this away from the screw 30, then the pull onthe arm 9 will bring the combination to some such position as shown bythe dotted lines until the locking-link 1.1 is released and the doorfree to close.

In order to efiect the bending of the middle joint 6 of thetoggleslever, I have provided an eleetromagnet 12, suitably mounted uponand fastened to the base. This electromagnet has extended conicalcoresor poles 13 projecting through openings in a movable armature 14:. Thistype of electromagnet is used in order to secure a greater throw of thearmature and at the same time securing a stronger and almost uniformattraction throughout the entire travel of the armature. By using thistype of electromagnet I am enabled to bend the middle joint of thetoggle with a much smaller and lighter electromagnet, and hencerequiring only a Very small current. A releasing-rod 15, connected withthe armature, extends toward the middle joint 6 and has its free endsuitably placed to abut or strike it, and thus bending the toggle whenthe armature is attracted by the electromagnet. When the toggle-lever isdoor, leaving the latter free to close.

bent out of the rigid position, the pull of the door will cause thelever-sections to assume the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig.1, thus releasingthe locking-link 11 on the A small spring 16 isconnected to the locking-lever 8 and serves to return said lever andtoggle to their normal or rigid position after the locking-link 11 hasbeen released, thus providing a self-setting device. The spring 16 maybe attached to section 5 of the toggle-lever and so attached as to bringthe same into the rigid position. If the reversed form of the toggle isused, spring 16 must be attached to the pivoted section (section 5) ofthe togglelever.

Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of the release applied to the door, therelease-circuits, and the thermostat-circuits. The thermostat-circuit isshown by dotted lines. Both 7 release and thermostat circuits areprovided with batteries or other source of current. The numeral 17represents batteries of the releasecircuit. This circuit is closed incase of a fire breaking out by an electromagnetic switch 22, which inturn is operated by the thermostats. 23 designates an auxiliary circuitleading to door-bells, &c., for which the batteries may be used at thesame time. The electromagnetic switch may be so constructed and arrangedas to ring an electric alarm alternately with closing therelease-circuit. The thermostats 25, as shown, are of the opencircuittype, being closed by any abnormal rise in temperature. The closing ofany one of the thermostats causes the electromagnetic switch to closethe release-circuit, thus energizing the electromagnets of the releaser,which will in turn attract the armature and release the fire doors orshutters, as above described. Any thermostatic device may be used, theMontauk multiphase cable being the most reliable and convenient.

A hand-switch 31 may be provided for closing the fire-doors at Willfroniany pointwithin or without the building. Similarlyalarmcircuits may beattached to give the alarm within or without the building.

As before shown and stated, only a very slight push is necessaryto bringthe togglelever-out of the rigid position, and hence it is apparent thatwith an elect-romagnet of the type above described a comparatively smallamount of current will suffice to bend 'the lever at the joint 6 enoughto release the door. An ordinary bell-battery is more than adequate tooperate the mechanism for the heaviest fire-doors. As before stated, thesame batteries may be used to operate call-bells, fire-alarms, &c. 1

I do not limit my invention to employment on fire-doors and shutters, asit may be employed to release a movable member wherever it is desirableto permit such a member to move or close. The above application tofire-doors is for convenience of illustration only.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In automatic release devices thecombination of a toggle-lever pivoted to a frame or base, alocking-lever pivoted to said base and having one arm jointed to saidtbggle-lever, the other arm adapted to engage and hold a hook when thetoggle-lever is in the rigid position, said book being attached to thedoor or other device to be released, an electromagnet mounted upon saidframe and provided with a movable, pivoted armature having a rod or abar connected therewith and, adapted, upon movement of said armature, toshift or bend the toggle-lever to allow the lockinglink to be withdrawnfrom looking engagement, an electric battery and an electric circuit forenergizing said eiectromagnet to effect the movement of said armaturesubstantially as describedoand for the purpose as described above.

2. In automatic release devices the combination of a toggle-lever, alocking-lever jointed to said toggle-lever, an electromagnet having apivoted movable armature, a rod or bar connected to said armature andthus adapted to transmit the movement of the armature to the joint ofihetoggle-lever sections, and to shiftor bend same out of the rigidposition, to allow the locking-link to disengage the locking-lever, anelectric circuit deriving electric current from a battery or othersource of electricity for energizing said electromagnet, to producemovement of the armature, a second electric circuit containing a sourceof electricity, an electromagnetic switch, and thermostatic devices,whereby, when the temperature in the proximity of the thermostaticdevices reaches a dangerous point or degree the release-circuit isclosed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY JOSEPH PODLESAK.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. ROMANDORF, V. SYGIEL.

